Rail-joint-coupling device.



L. M. SMETH.

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UNITE-1D STAT LYLE M. SMITH, OIF- CATLETT, VIRGINIA..

RAIL-JOINT-GOUPLIG DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Yatent. l Paten'dDtec. 16, 1919.

Application filed May 3, 1919. Serial No. 294,532.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LYLE M. SMITH, a citi-l zen of the United States,residing at Catlett',

in the county oFauquier and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Impioveinentsiin Rail-Jointloupling De-y vices, of which they following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rail joint coupling devices, and has 'for its object the construction of a simple and eiicient device for i fastening the contiguous ends of a pair of drawings, and more particularly pointed out' in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a top plan View of a, device A i constructed in -accordancewith 'the` presasy or base plate;

ent invention, while F'gf2 is a View vin side elevation oi they devi e illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. v3 is a section taken on line 8-3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, f f

Fig. L is a perspective View of the bridge Fig'. 5 plate.

Fg. 6 is a sectional view taken on line is a perspective view of thev wedge @-6, Fig. 2, lookinrr in the directionot' the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the prinary wedge key, While Fig. 8 is a front edge view of said key. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of Amy device, showing -particularly the V- shaped lugs and the V-shaped notches or pockets formed on the abutting ends ot' the rails. 1 Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1

ldesignates contiguous ties, and 2 is ythe .bridge or baseplate resting upon the ties.

The rails 3 rest upon .the base plate 2, and by means of spikes 4 extending through apertures 5 of the plate 2, and into the ties l, the rails are vheld imposition upon the base plate. AThe joint device includes a pair of similarly-constructed angle plates 6 molded or integral with vthe base plates 2; each angle plate is provided with a beveled edge 7 that is formed in a. diderent lvertical plane from the main edge, for the' purpose hereinafter described.

The base plate 2 is provided-with a" pair `of 'transverse grooves 9; each groove 9 tapers or increases in height fromfend 10 to end 11, to accommodate the tapering wedge plate 12. The wedge plate'12 is4 provided with a head 13, havingva'bevelededge 14, which beveled edge 141i engages the beveled edge 7 of an angle plate 6, so that as the Wedge plate 12 is drawn more tightly upon the base plates 2, the'abutting faces or edges-14 and 7 of the wedge plate 12 and the angle plate 6, respectively, act 'to force the angle plate l more tightly against'the base of the rail 3 (Fig. 3). The wedge plate 12 is tapered .I from one end to its opposite end, and formed in said plate near its outer end is an elongated, key-receiving slot 15.

After the two base plates2 have been placed upon the'ties 1 then the rails 3 areplaced upon the base plates'betivcen the angle plates 6 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3), and then the wedge plates 12 are pushed through the grooves 9, causing the'elongated slots 15 to be exposed at the outer side of one of the base plates 2,

which slots 15 receive the primary-.Wedge keys 16. Each primary wedge key 16 comprises a body 17 split or bifurcated longi-v tudinally at 18, and throughv the lsplit or.

bifurcated portion of the body 17 is formed an elongated slot 19 for receiving the auxiliary wedge key 20; it is to be noted that the slot 19 is formed at right angles tothe slit portion 18, thereby permitting the lower split end oi" the primary Wedge key to be bent outwardly, as shown by dotted lines 21 (Fig. 2). After the auxiliary wedge key has been. placed in the slot 19 of the primary key, then the auxiliary', split, .wedge key 2O caribe spread apart at its splitl end to lock this key securely upon the primary key (Fig. 1); the auxiliary key 20 has a I beveled edge 22 so that it Acan be tightly jammed er wedged intothe slot 19vof the primary lacy, after which the split end can be spread apart as shown in dotted lines in Figi'. 1. v

body 17 of each primary wedge key 16 has its inner edge 23 beveled, and the 'inner edgeV 24C of the head 17 is more radically beveled than at 23, whereby, when the key- 16 is being forced downward in aperture of wedge plate 12, the key 16 will serve to draw the Wedge plate more tightly upon the two base plates 2 and their integral angle plates 6, by reasoT of the edge of one of the base plates 2 being slightly beveled, and as pressure is continued upon the head 17, the radically-beveled edge 24 of the head 17a Will come in contact with the beveled v edge 7 of an angle plate, opposite to the head '13 ofthe wedge plate (Fig. 3), causing a reater pressure to be exerted for clamping t e angle plates tightly against the web of the rails and under the tread of the rails, producing a very eficient assembling of the contiguous ends of the rails, whereupon the auxiliary Wedge keys 20 are inserted in slots 19 of the primary wedge keys, and all of the elements of the device are thereupon fastened securely and eiiieiently in their tightly-asi sembled position.

To prevent the rails 3 from L"ei-eepng,

I formpn the inner face of each angle plate 6, contiguous to the base plate 2 (Fig. 4),

an integral V-shaped lug 25a, and these lugs 25a of the angle plates fit into V-shaped sockets 26 (Fig. 9) these sockets are formed by beveling at 27, for a short distance, the abutting ends of the rails 3. When the base plates 2 and the angle plates 6 are brought against the contiguous or abutting ends of the rails 3, the lugs 25a will be seated in the sockets 26, and thereby prevent any longitudinal play or creeping of the rails upon the coupling device.

I appreciate that certain minor changes or alterations may be made in the extensive manufacture of my device, and I reserve the right to make such ininor alterations or changes as shall appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, and which shall fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination. ot' base plates provided with a pair of transverse, tapering, or wedge-like grooves, rails resting upon said base plates, angle plates integral with said base plates andbearing against the contiguous ends of said rails, each angle plate provided at its lower edge with a beveled face formed in a different plane from the plane in which the remaining portion of the face of the plate is formed, a tapering, wedge plate provided at one end with a head havingan inner, beveled edge and having near its opposite end an elongated slot, the beveled, inner edge of each wedge plate engaging the lower, beveled face of one ot' said angle plates, one of said base plates provided with a beveled edge, an elongated slot of each mense? wedge plate contiguous to the beveled, lower face of one of the angle plates and contiguous to the beveled edge of one of the leaseA plates, a primary wedge key in the slot of said wedge plate, each key having a bod with an inner, beveled edge and a head Wit an inner, beveled edge, the beveled edge of the'body normally resting against the beveled edge of said base plate and the beveled edge of the head normally resting against the beveled face of an angle plate, said body of the key provided with a slot, and an auxiliary Wedge key in the slot of fthe firstmentioned key.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with base plates, rails upon said base plates, of angle plates integral With said base plates and engaging the contiguous ends of said rails, wedge plates under-said rails and resting upon said base plates, each wedge plate provided with a head at one end eno'ao-inoan angle late and )rovided near i b b h b its opposite end with an elongated slot, priinaryjwedge keys in the slots of said Wedge plates, each key provided with an elongated slot, an auxiliary wedge .key in the slot of each primary key, and the outer end of each of the primary and auxiliary keys beingv bent at an angle to the body of the key, when assembled.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination with base plates, rails resting l upon said base plates, of angle plates integral with said base plates engaging oon-y tiguous ends of said rails, Wedge plates eX- teiiding under said angle plates and said rails and uponsaid base plates, each angle plate provided with an elongated slot contiguous to the lower edge thereof and the upper edge of a base plate, said lower edge of the angle plate and the edge of the base plate contiguous to said slot being both beveled in the saine verticalrplane, and a wedge key having a beveled inner edge in said slot f of the wedge plate and one of the inner, beveled edges of the wedge key engaging7 the beveled edge of the base plate and the other i beveled edge of the key engaging the beveled edge orvface of the angle plate, substantiall y asshown and described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with baseplates, rails restino'l upon said base plates, angle plates integra with said base plates, and engaging said rails, of wedge plates extending under said' combination with base plates, rails resting ,with said base etes and engaging the oon-l said primary keys, the bifurcated ends of tiguous ends of said rails, 'of Wedge lates -said primary and auxiliary keys spread apart extending under said angle plates an restwhen assembled, for securely looking .the 5 ing -upon said base plates, primary bifuri same together,

cated and slotted Wedge keys extending f In testimony whereof I hereunto ax my 15 through the wedge plates and engaging one signature. ,y y of saidv angle plates and one of said base y plates, and auxlliary bifurcated wedge keys y LYLE M. SMITH. v

.upon said liasepllates, angle plates integral extending through the slotted portions, of V10 

